Ration-pack.



auuenfoc N0- 79'7,667. PATENTED AUG. 22, 1905- A. M. DAVIS; RATION PACKAPPLICATION FILED OUT. 27, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

wiiiwmawo @wfl No. 797,667. PATENTED AUG. 22, 1905.

A. M. DAVIS.

RATION PACK.

APPLIOATION rum 00127, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2'.

n m mg m m c a w a n M ALEXANDER M. DAVIS, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

RATlON-PACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22. 1905.

Application filed October 27, 1904:. Serial No. 230,250.

To ctZZ whom it ntrty concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER M. DAVIS, major commissary United StatesArmy, now stationed at the city of St. Louis, in the State of'Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ration-Packs; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same.reference,being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon.

The present invention relates to equipment for use in the field byinfantrymen and others whose occupation makes it desirable to carrysubsistence on the person, and while in the form to be hereinafterdescribed the equipment is especially designed for use in the militaryservice it is well adapted for use by prospectors, campers, or foottravelers generally.

The objects of the invention are to so construct, assemble, and disposethe components forming the equipment on the person of the user that themovements of the body, arms, and limbs will not be hindered orinterfered with and the load will be distributed on those parts of thebody best calculated to withstand the strain.

A further object of the invention is to provide an equipment thecomponent parts of which are capable of separate or collective use, butwith the capacity of being nested or packed into each other to reducebulk and facilitate transportation when not filled with subsistence.

The invention consists in certain novel details of construction andcombinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be now described,and pointed out particularly in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view illustratingthe pack disposed upon the person of a soldier. Fig. 2 is a similarview, but with the soldier facing the observer. Fig. 3 is a view of thecentral pocket detached from the side pockets and open to show themanner of packing. Fig. L is a view showing the contents of the centralpocket, the cover of the mess-pan and breadreceptacle being shownassembled with its handle to form an intrenching-tool. Fig. 5 is asectional view through one side pocket with the canteen therein. Fig. 6is a section through the other side pocket with the sugar and coffeereceptacle therein.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate like parts.

In campaign \vorkit is of prime importance that a soldiers equipmentshall be such that he can personally carry sufficient subsistence tosupport him in full vigor for a reasonable time and that thissubsistence shall be so carried as to conserve as far as practicable hisvital force and strength. It is further desirable that the equipmentshall be such that it may be quickly and certainly positioned, have thecapacity for carrying reasonable toilet articles, &c., and be easilynested or compactly assembled to reduce bulk to the minimum when nosubsistence is carried. It is further desirable that the pockets forminga part of the pack shall be individually small and adjustable withrelation to each other to suit diflerent persons or be separable forstorage or to adapt the kit for the use of mounted men.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, it will be seenthat the entire ration-pack is hung preferably by hooks (b from the beltand harness B, the latter being of the usual or any preferred type. Thebelt shown is that adopted for the United States Army and adapted tocarry clips of ammunition for small-caliber guns. The pack embodies acentral pocket A and side pockets B B, said pockets being provided withscams or flaps down their inner adjacent edges for the accommodation ofadjustable fastening means, such as laces or thongs C. With thisconstruction the pockets naturally form a curve about the back of thebody at the hips and may be adjusted to comfortably lit indi viduals ofany size or shape. Each pocket is provided along the top of its inneredge with a series of hooks a for engagement with the belt, and thepockets A and B are provided with cover-flaps a. and 7/, adapted to besocured in closed position by buttons or other suitable fasteners I).There are two sets of such fasteners on the pocket A to permit the sameto be reduced in size when not filled by its contents for instance, whenthe subsistence-receptacles are nested one within the other. Pocket B isadapted to receive a combined canteen and tin cup I) D, respectively,the cup being made to telescope onto the bottom of the canteen and beingprovided with a folding handle cZ. Both the canteen and cup arepreferably made kidney shape in horizontal section, the hollow sideconforming to the body of the soldier. Pocket B is adapted to contain adouble-end sugar and cofiee receptacle B, the compartments being ofproper size to hold the exact number of rations of these commodities itis desired to carry-say three rations of each. This pocket may alsocontain a couple of emergency-rations and, if desired, a razor.

The rear pocket A is adapted to contain three utensils of generalrectangular form and two of which will nest in the third when the latteris not filled with subsistence. The utensils referred to are best shownin Fig. A of the accompanping drawings, and by reference to this figureit will be seen that a rectangular mess-pan H is provided, said panhaving handles h hinged to one end and adapted to fold around flatagainst the sides, with their upper bars close to and beneath theflanges 70, forming the edges of the pan. They are adapted to be held inthis position by the flanged edges 6 of the cover I when the cover isslipped into position to close the pan. The pan may be utilized in avariety of ways. For instance, it is of proper size to hold threehalf-rations of hard bread. It forms an efficient cooking utensil, beingreadily handled by means of the hinged handles, and when the cover isapplied it forms a very efficient Dutch oven, in which cooking may bedone. The coverI is made of heavy sheetsteel,flanged at the side andback edges, so as to fit snugly and be retained in place by the edgeflanges of the pan. In addition the cover is provided with two eyes orloops and t", the former serving as a handle by which the cover may beopened or closed and together forming a socket for a staff or elongatedhandle K, preferably having a threaded ferrule 70, adapted to screw intothe eye or loop 2' thus forming an efiicient spade orintrenching-tool.The handle K may well also form the handle for a pick and hatchet K. Thepocket A is also adapted to contain a rectangular receptacle M for threerations of bacon and a satchel N for a knife, fork, spoon, tooth-brush,620. These two receptacles M and N are of such size as to lit into themess-pan when no bread is to be carried, thus reducing the bulk of thepocket and permitting the latter to be closed by fastening the coverwith the second line of buttons or fasteners. The pocket A is preferablyalso formed with a subpocket A for the reception of a towel or othersoft article which may be folded flat, the location of the subpocketbeing next the inner side of the main pocket, so that its contents willform a pad next the body to distribute the pressure and enable theweight to be carried more comfortably.

It will be observed that with the pack as described the pack isdistributed evenly and its weight is carried at the two proper points ofsupport -i. 0., shoulders and hips. The limbs are left perfectly free,and the receptacles provide for the issue to each man of exactquantities of the ration and their preservation in cleanly and hygieniccondition until required for use. Marks, such as at O, are preferablyprovided on each receptacle to indicate each days quantity of ration,thus serving as a guide to both the commissary and to the soldier. Thecanteen, it will be noted,nests in the cup and cannot act as aheliographand is noiseless.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is I 1. A ration-pack such as describedembodying a rear and two side pockets connected by lacing along theiradjacent edges and a harness adapted to extend over the shoulders andfrom which each of said pockets is suspended; substantially asdescribed. I

2-. A ration-pack of the character specified embodying a central pockethaving a subpocket on its inner side and having project ingseams alongits inner side edges, side pockets having projecting seams along theirinner side edges and means for separably connect ing the seams ofadjacent pockets; substantially as described.

8. A ration-pack of the character specified formed of a series ofseparate pockets having suspension means at their upper edges andprojecting seams along their side edges and lacing connecting the seamsof adjacent pockets; substantially as described.

A. In a ration-pack, the combination with a waist-belt having a seriesof ammunition-holders and means for supporting the belt from theshoulders,of pockets for rations and equipment connected together attheir proximate edges and suspended from the belt below theammunition-holders and supported through said belt from thebelt-supporting means; sub stantially as described.

5. In a ration-pack, the combination with a waist-belt having a seriesof separate ammunition-pockets formed thereon and shoulderstrapsconnected with said belt, of pockets of textile material connectedtogether at their proximate edges, individually connected at their upperedges to the lower edge of the belt and suspended therefrom below theammunition-pockets; substantially as described.

ALEXANDER M. DAVIS.

Witnesses:

HENRY KIRBY, F. N. KILIAN.

